Negus says sorry for 'dud-root' remark

Veteran journalist George Negus and his co-host on The Circle Yumi Stynes have phoned an Australian war hero to personally apologise after they made offensive comments on the Channel 10 program construed by some as suggesting he was brainless and a "dud root".

The pair also appeared on The Project last night to publicly apologise after their comments received widespread condemnation, including a dressing down by members of the Federal Parliament and hundreds of furious messages on the show's Facebook page.

Apology ... Serial guest and veteran journalist George Negus told The Project he had spoken to Ben Roberts-Smith. Photo: Ten

Negus said Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith, who was awarded the Victoria Cross medal for single-handedly storming an enemy machinegun position in Afghanistan, was not upset "at all" when he phoned yesterday to apologise.

"He didn't think it was malicious in any way, shape or form," Negus told The Project.

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"He actually used the term himself when I spoke to him, 'I know you had your tongue in your cheek, basically I know you weren't having a crack'. And we talked about it and I apologised. I said 'I'm sorry if I've offended you, your family, your colleagues in the army, the SAS, if unintentionally or accidentally I actually offended you'."

Negus also took aim at media coverage of the incident, which he claimed misrepresented what he said.

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Negus and Stynes had been looking at a photograph of the shirtless war hero in a swimming pool on The Circle when Stynes, who later admitted she knew little about him, quipped: "He's going to dive down to the bottom of the pool to see if his brain is there."

Negus had then responded: "I'm sure he's a really good guy, nothing about poor old Ben. But that sort of bloke ... and what if they're not up to it in the sack?"

Contrite ... Yumi Stynes issued her second public apology for the day on Channel Ten show The Project. Photo: Ten

Another host questioned whether Negus was suggesting "that he could be a dud root", to laughter from the audience.

The show's treatment of Corporal Roberts-Smith also came under fire after the soldier revealed in a candid interview on Channel Seven's Sunday Night that he and his wife had conceived their twin daughters through IVF treatment.

Thanked the public.... Ben Roberts-Smith was mocked on The Circle after appearing topless in a pool. Photo: Channel Seven

Negus claimed he did not say Corporal Roberts-Smith specifically was a poor lover, but that "that sort of bloke, meaning blokes in general" could be.

"I still felt a need to apologise because so many people thought that I had [been referring specifically to Corporal Roberts-Smith]."

He can tell that I'm a human being and I made a mistake.

Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith released a statement last night, saying he was initially surprised at the comments but understood they were not meant to be malicious.

"I would like to thank the Australian public and Australian Defence Force personnel for their overwhelming support - my wife and I were extremely touched by the outpouring of support and concern," he said.

IVF parents ... Ben Roberts-Smith at home with his wife children in a profile featured on Channel Seven's Sunday Night program. Photo: Channel Seven

"I have now put this matter behind me so I can focus on serving my country."

But Defence Minister Stephen Smith said such comments, directed at anyone, were reprehensible.

"Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith has received the appropriate apologies, as he should have. He has accepted them, which is the measure of the man and his family," he said.

Labor parliamentary secretary for defence David Feeney noted the corporal was the recipient of Australia's highest award for gallantry.

"These people are not an appropriate target for the sort of conversation that we saw on that program," he said.

Stynes told The Project that she was humbled by the experience, and that Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith had accepted her apology.

"I did speak to the man in question ... on the phone this afternoon and just said to him 'Look, I'm really sorry about this' and he was like: 'I've got a pretty thick skin' and he kind of went 'You know this stuff happens'," Stynes said.

"I was relieved to have had that conversation, having him on the phone.

"He can tell that I'm a human being and I made a mistake."

Corporal Roberts-Smith was awarded the VC for extraordinary heroism in bitter fighting as members of the Special Operations Task Group assaulted a Taliban stronghold in Kandahar Province on June 11, 2010.

At great risk to himself, Corporal Roberts-Smith drew fire away from his fellow Diggers by making himself an easy shot before single-handedly silencing two Taliban machinegun posts.

That enabled his unit to go on to clear a village of Taliban.

In 2012, Fairfax publications asserted in a number of articles that Yumi Stynes and George Negus had made derogatory comments regarding the sexual character of Victoria Cross recipient Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith and his use of IVF procedures. The discussion occurred on The Circle television chat show. Our interpretation was wrong and we accept that both Negus and Stynes were not referring to Corporal Roberts-Smith personally, but to strongly-built men generally. We apologise for the error.